The Islanders are making moves on the blue line, reassigning 20-year-old defenseman Isaiah George to AHL Bridgeport to make room for newly acquired Carson Soucy. It’s a roster shuffle that signals a short-term shift in priorities but doesn’t diminish the long-term promise George continues to show.
Let’s start with George. After a quietly impressive 2024-25 campaign, he’s turned more heads than you might expect for a mid-round pick.
He logged 33 NHL games last season, picking up five points and averaging just under 16 minutes a night - almost all of it at even strength. The numbers won’t leap off the page, but the eye test and underlying metrics told the story of a young defenseman holding his own.
His 45.9% shot attempt share at 5-on-5 and a -3 rating show he wasn’t dominating, but he wasn’t overwhelmed either. For a 20-year-old making the leap, that’s a solid foundation.
What stood out most was his skating. George has always been mobile, and that translated well to the NHL level. He didn’t look out of place - and that’s saying something when you’re jumping into the world’s fastest league as a young defender.
Still, the numbers game on the Islanders’ left side made it tough for him to stick around. The emergence of Matthew Schaefer, who fell into the Isles’ lap and immediately stabilized the left side, meant George was likely headed back to Bridgeport to start 2025-26.
That’s exactly what happened - but it hasn’t slowed his progress. Through 24 AHL games this season, George has posted a 2-8-10 stat line with a +5 rating, showing growth on both sides of the puck.
Opportunity came knocking again recently, thanks to a shoulder injury to Alexander Romanov. With the Isles needing help on the third pairing, George got another crack at NHL action.
After stints by Marshall Warren and Travis Mitchell, it was George’s turn last weekend. He slotted in next to Adam Boqvist and even recorded an assist, but the pairing struggled to contain the opposition.
They were out-attempted 26-7 at 5-on-5 and controlled just 18.2% of expected goals, according to MoneyPuck. That’s a rough stretch, but also part of the learning curve for a young defenseman still adjusting to the pace and structure of the NHL.
Now, with Soucy stepping into the 3LD role behind Schaefer and Adam Pelech, George is headed back to Bridgeport. Barring more injuries, his NHL ice time will likely be limited for the rest of the season.
But this isn’t a setback - it’s part of the process. George turns 22 next month and still has one more year left on his entry-level deal.
That 2026-27 season could be a pivotal one, especially with Soucy, Boqvist, and Tony DeAngelo all on expiring contracts.
In other words, the door isn’t closing - it’s just not open right now. George has shown he belongs in the conversation, and if he keeps trending upward, his time will come.